Iran: Potato Statistics Diverge, With FAOSTAT at 2.92 Mt for 2024
FAOSTAT puts Iran's 2024 potato crop at 2.92 million tonnes, down 32% from 2010. National studies report about 5 million tonnes, which matters for export forecasts.
Iran produced 2.92 million tonnes of potatoes in 2024, according to FAOSTAT. The same database records 4.28 million tonnes for 2010. On these figures, output fell by about 32%.
FAOSTAT gives an average yield of 32.3 t/ha for 2024. That implies a harvested area of about 90,500 hectares.
National data tell a different story
Iranian research gives much higher numbers. A 2022 study in the Agricultural Marketing and Commercialization Journal analysed the market until 2021. Its authors, Khorami and Hasani Moghadam, used national statistics. They reported about 149,000 hectares in 2020 and an average yield of 37.1 t/ha. They also cited production of 4.1 to 5.5 million tonnes between 2006 and 2020.
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The gap between the two sources is large. It may reflect different survey methods or missing official reports to FAO. Users of the data should compare both series before drawing conclusions. The trend direction is also uncertain: FAOSTAT shows decline, while the national series shows a stable crop.
A concentrated, export-oriented crop
The same study shows strong regional concentration. Hamedan supplied 17.2% of output in 2016–2020. Ardabil supplied 15.8% and Isfahan 8.6%. The top ten provinces produced 82% of the crop. Hamedan also had the highest yield, at 44.6 t/ha.
Consumption was estimated at 45 kg per person per year. The study found a surplus of about 1.1 million tonnes for 2021. Exports reached about 950,000 tonnes in 2020, up 83% on 2019. Afghanistan took 41% of that volume, Iraq 24% and Azerbaijan 13%.
Prices follow a clear seasonal cycle. They are lowest in October, at harvest peak. They are highest in March and April.
Exports under policy risk
Trade policy can change quickly. On 3 March 2026, Iran banned all food and agricultural exports until further notice, Just Food reported. The report cited the Tasnim news agency. The ban came amid conflict with the United States and Israel.
Why it matters
Iran has been a key supplier of table potatoes to Afghanistan, Iraq and Central Asia. Neighbouring importers need to know how large the Iranian surplus really is. The two statistical series differ by more than 2 million tonnes. Traders should treat any single figure with caution and watch export rules closely.
Photo: A potato farm in Mazandaran province, Iran (illustrative). V.H / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
